The Battling Bishops gained the inside track to claiming the 2A Region 6 title in the process, as they are the only remaining undefeated region team with one game left in the regular season. It was a matchup of the No. 3 2A-ranked program in the state (Bishop England) against the No. 4. The result should also erase any doubt that the Bishops can’t defend their two consecutive state championships come postseason time.

Bishop England moved to 6-0 in region action (7-2 overall), while Woodland dropped to 5-1 (8-1 overall). The Bishops led 21-0 after a touchdown run by fullback CJ Michel and two scoring scampers by tailback Nick Shiver.

That advantage nearly held up going into halftime, but Woodland responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Knight to receiver Patrick Sheppard with 28 seconds left in the second quarter. Knight finished with 101 passing yards and 62 rushing yards but threw two interceptions.

Both teams played a scoreless third quarter, but, like the second quarter, the fourth period turned into the Shiver show. The senior again made two trips to the end zone. Shiver finished with 226 yards on 18 carries.

Quarterback Reed Fosberry didn’t have any passing yards but also took 18 carries and turned them into 74 yards. The Bishops totaled 367 yards, and all came on the ground.

Bishop England’s defense, though, highlighted the effort. It limited Woodland, which had been averaging more than 42 points per game, to just 73 yards after intermission (185 total).

Senior linebacker Harrison Boals collected six solo tackles, one assist and two interceptions. Senior lineman Chandler Sambets had four solo tackles, four assists and two sacks. Senior defensive back Nick Vecchiolla led the team with seven solo tackles and two assists.

Bishop England closes out its regular season on Friday at Ridgeland/Hardeeville (6-3, 5-1). The Jaguars’ only region loss came at Woodland, and if they manage to beat the Bishops, it could cause a three-way tie at the top of the region - if Woodland isn’t upset by Garrett in its final game.

Comments

Notice about comments:

Moultrie News is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Moultrie News.

If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.